The importance of the free movement of persons and the proper functioning of the internal market, in particular concerning the availability of mediation services in cross-border disputes, was an important point on the agenda of the European Directive 2008/52/EC of 21 May 2008 on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters.

Within that context the European Commission decided to financially support the EMTPJ-project (European Mediation Training for Practitioners of Justice- Project). The EMTPJ-project is an initiative of the Association for International Arbitration (AIA) that organises a new course on mediation in Europe for civil and commercial matters.

This new course should become a milestone for mediation in Europe as its content is recognized by many mediation centers (in and beyond Europe), allowing succesful participants to apply for accreditation within different states. The ultimate goal is to introduce “European Mediators” and to promote cross-border mediations in civil and commercial matters.